News

King holds talks with Indian president, meets VP

1 March 2018

His Majesty King Abdullah and Indian President Ram Nath Kovind held talks on Thursday on Jordanian-Indian relations and means to take them to further heights.

During discussions at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, attended by a number of senior officials on both sides, King Abdullah affirmed Jordan’s keenness to expand cooperation with India, especially in the economic, commercial, defence, investment, and parliamentary fields, stressing the importance of visit exchanges between representatives of the two countries’ public and private sectors.

Discussions covered regional and international developments, particularly the peace process and efforts to reach political solutions to regional crises, as well as regional and international efforts to fight terrorism within a holistic approach.

For his part, President Kovind noted that India looks to maintain coordination and consultations with Jordan, as well as bolstering cooperation in various areas.

He commended His Majesty’s speech at the conference on “Islamic Heritage: Promoting Harmony and Coexistence”, expressing appreciation for the King’s ongoing efforts to seek security and peace in the Middle East.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas, Minister of ICT and Minister of Public Sector Development Majd Shweikeh, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah, Minister of State for Investment Affairs Muhannad Shehadeh, and Jordan’s Ambassador to India Hassan Al Jawarneh attended the meeting.

President Kovind hosted a dinner banquet in honour of His Majesty and the accompanying delegation.

Also on Thursday, the King met with Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and discussed various regional and international developments, as well as ways to solidify bilateral ties.

Earlier, His Majesty had been accorded an official welcoming ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, where he was received by President Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The King also visited the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, where he laid a wreath and signed the guestbook.